So what are you going to do? Go to Burma and give all those monks a spanking?

Seriously. People keep complaining about what is going on in Burma. Why not do something?Contact the president of Burma, contact UNO, various human rights organisations, etc. etc. and request them to do something.Ask the Dalai Lama to do something. Get all the other Buddhist dignitaries and visible, influential monks together and request them to take some action.

Taking out one's gall at a forum isn't really helping anyone, least of all the Buddhists and the Muslims in Burma.

binocular wrote:So what are you going to do? Go to Burma and give all those monks a spanking?

Seriously. People keep complaining about what is going on in Burma. Why not do something?Contact the president of Burma, contact UNO, various human rights organisations, etc. etc. and request them to do something.Ask the Dalai Lama to do something. Get all the other Buddhist dignitaries and visible, influential monks together and request them to take some action.

Taking out one's gall at a forum isn't really helping anyone, least of all the Buddhists and the Muslims in Burma.

Have done what little I can do and feel is appropriate on the ground as a white foreigner with no influence or sway over anyone whatsoever (hell I can't even influence or sway my own mind)...

18 years ago I made one of the most important decisions of my life and entered a local Cambodian Buddhist Temple as a temple boy and, for only 3 weeks, an actual Therevada Buddhist monk. I am not a scholar, great meditator, or authority on Buddhism, but Buddhism is something I love from the Bottom of my heart. It has taught me sobriety, morality, peace, and very importantly that my suffering is optional, and doesn't have to run my life. I hope to give back what little I can to the Buddhist community that has so generously given me so much, sincerely former monk John

SDC wrote:But should they be held accountable for these unskillful acts?

I'm not sure what system of law exists over in Burma, but I would guess if they are violating it, they should/could/will be held accountable. But, if your Buddhist beliefs include Karma, they will be held "accountable" regardless of the legal system in Burma. My concern is, if I am to be a Buddhist, should my response to the monks and their behavior be one of judgment and castigation or one of compassion and loving-kindness? It's easier to be a compassionate Buddhist when people are being nice and behaving themselves. It is much more difficult to be a compassionate Buddhist when people are acting out and being unskillful.

In my view, one can still be compassionate in holding people accountable for their actions; it is not an either / or proposition.

Sorry for not specifying, but I meant held accountable in regards to their violations of the monastic code. While they may be human beings, when they made the choice to ordain, didn't they agree to follow a certain code or face the possibility of no longer being a monk?

SDC wrote:Sorry for not specifying, but I meant held accountable in regards to their violations of the monastic code. While they may be human beings, when they made the choice to ordain, didn't they agree to follow a certain code or face the possibility of no longer being a monk?

In my opinion, yes. If they took an oath (which if they are monks I assume they did) and there is evidence that they violated that oath, then whatever administrative process exists to evaluate their expulsion should be pursued.

My appeal for compassion should not be confused with any suggestion that people should not be held accountable for their actions.

There's no rule of law in Myanmar/Burma (I use the terms interchangeably and don't really care, neither do most Burmese), the Sangha council is state-controlled and it's in the state's interest to perpetuate the persecution and violence despite any assertions to the contrary, so the monks involved won't be punished. End of. Look no further than the recent decision to ban Time magazine in the country because of it's article on Wirathu, on the grounds of 'preventing further racial and religious riots', whilst Wirathu himself remains completely untouched and uncriticised by government and is free to continue the hate-filled sermons that spawned the article and arguably ignited the violence in the first place. The government is providing cover for (some would argue that it is, in fact, instigating) all this.

For those minded to tell me to stop whinging about the country and if I don't like it, leave etc., I am relocating in a few weeks.

this cover would be spread in europe, middle east, asia and south pasific (not in usa)

be prepare and be careful there would be uproar threat to kill Buddhist people like in Indonesia and malaysia and maybe to other countries cause this news.

So walk with a few friends or groups, regular there would traget individual person, and please do not wear buddha atribut temporary so you would not be record nize and be target of the violance of hate.